Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-10-13
Fond of the Cup.

| OLe of the most popular pets in the
geological gardens is gentle little Dor
cass gaZelle of the kind found in Egypt
says the Philadelphia Record. He is a
delicately moulded creature of graceful
form, with slender legs and large lustrous
eyes. For about ten years the pretty
little creature has been an object of much
| admiration, but 1t was only few weeks
| ago that his history became known to the
keepers. The story, as told by a gentle
man who had visited the place to see
| the gazelle recently, is quite unique in its
way.
Some years before the animal made its
appearance in this city it was picked up
| In some Mediterranean port by Captain
English, who commanded vessel plying
| in those waters The captain took a
great fancy to the gentle little creature,
and it soon became the pet of all men on
board the ship. Special orders were
given to the crew to treat it kindly and
give it the best of care. One day it was
found that the gazelle would drink coffee
and was fond of the beverage. The men
| with whom the little fellow messed taught
it TO sit up on chair and drink its coffee
from tin cup on the table. BY the cap
| taiA's orders the gazelle was served first
at each meal.
On several occasions the ZEN teased the
animal by making it wait until they had
taken their portion of coffee. They soon
found that this did not pay, for each time
when the gazelle found that he did not
get the first cup of coffee he leared upon
the table and wrathtully sent the dishes
spinning in every direction with his tiny
active hoofs.
For long time the animal lived aboard
ship, and passed through many storms,
in one Of which, however, it was thrown
down upon the deck, and one of its horns
was broken off close to the head. The
marks of this injury are still borne by the
animal, and only one horn graces it's hand
some head. From the ship the gazelle
passed to the geological gardens about
ten years ago, having been given to the
society by Captain England while his YES
sci was in this port. During all this time
the peculiar history of the little pet was
unknown.
When it came out week or so ago Mr..
Byrnes, the head keeper of the gardens,
determined to see if the animal still re-
tanned its taste for coffee after an alb
stinence Of SO many years. Accordingly
small table was made and placed in the
apartment with the gazelle, and a chair
was put beside the table. A tin cup full
of coffee, sweetened with sugar and milk,
was placed on the table by the keeper,
when the gazelle at once leaped nimbly
upon the chair, and burying its black
nose in the cup drained the coffee 10 the
bottom. That the drink was both re-
cognized and relished by the animal was
evident from the satisfaction with which
the creature smacked It's lips and licked
its jaws with its little black tongue.
subsequently the experiment was re-
peated, but although several trials were
made the animal could not be induced to
noun the chair again as there was great
danger of slipping its legs through the
back of the chair ard breaking them.
Chair and table were therefore dispensed
with, but the gazelle occasionally takes a
cup of coffee from the floor.